By Omos Oyinbode, Asaba
In a bid to enforce the no vehicular movement during elections, an order said to be from the Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, soldiers, in their droves, yesterday, disrupted elections in Asaba, sending voters scampering for safety in the most peaceful state capital in Nigeria.
The soldiers who raided the city, confiscating keys of drivers who were driving to their polling units, sent shivers down the spine of voters, as the serenity of the capital city was shattered creating tension and apprehension in the minds of voters who had finished accreditation and waiting for voting which was billed for 1pm.
Our correspondent, who had earlier visited ward 8, unit 7 where the Delta State Commissioner for Information, Chike Ogeah, could not be accredited following the failure of the card reader to identify his fingerprint and was given an incident form, was later informed of a fracas between the Commissioner and members of the military on patrol.
In the ensuing fracas and for fear of the soldiers, many voters took to their heels as they believe that the action of soldiers could not be predicted.
It was learnt that the soldiers who raided the state capital in a bid to enforce the no movement order from the Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, collected keys from voters who were on their way to their polling units to cast their votes.
Many of the cars whose keys were collected by the soldiers were left in the midst of the major Nnebisi Road, the most popular and busiest road in the state capital.
As the raid progressed from the Flyover Bridge, the soldiers in their drove, arrived at the JohnBosco, the polling unit where Ogeah was billed to vote.
Our correspondent further learnt that in a bid to enforce the raid on vehicles which were packed close to the polling unit, the soldiers demanded for the key of the commissioner’s car, but Ogeah identified himself as a civil commissioner with his Permanent Voters Card and other means of identification.
But the soldiers blatantly refused to listen to the explanation of the commissioner, hence the fracas that disrupted the peaceful process at the Johnbosco polling unit.
Ogeah, who was visibly angry at the affront and audacity of the soldiers on his person, told journalists that the action of the soldiers scared away voters from the casting their votes.
He said “they came to meet me and demanded the key from my driver. We even said please, let us pack, they refused to allow us leave the road. I identified myself. They still took the key and went away. I’m surprised at the embarrassment of the soldiers.
“I’ve been trying to reach the governor but you know he is far away in his village voting but I’m sure I’ll get him so that we look at the matter and know what is going on in Asaba so that we can tell what is really happening. We need to know the people behind this activity of the soldiers. We want Nigerians to know that Asaba is a very peaceful place.
“Right now all our voters have been scared away. We can’t find them anymore. And we don’t know whether this is a larger agenda by whoever is directing this”.
But a spokesman of the army, who disrupted the election and identified as Olaleye O., said the seizure of keys from vehicle drivers was an order from the Inspector General of Police that no vehicular movement should be allowed on Election Day.
According to him, “the order of no vehicular movement means no vehicular movement between 8.am and 6pm. It’s only security agents and others on essential duties that are supposed to be with their vehicles. The issue of ballot snatching is traceable to movement of vehicles and tricycles on election days.
“So while we were going round there was a lot of vehicular movement and we decided to enforce the no vehicular movement order by the IGP. It was announced on the radio and television. People are supposed to walk to their polling units and cast their votes.
“Nobody has collected any PVC from anybody. All we are saying is that your vehicle is not supposed to be on the road.
Answering a question on distance from residence to polling unit and the fact that there were some vehicular movements during the presidential election, Olaleye said “we are simply enforcing an order from the Inspector General of Police”.
